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Ms. Ria Kinsella
(right) was diagnosed with breast cancer in
1999. her treatment included several rounds of chemotherapy and
surgery. In February of 2000, Ria was told that her cancer had
metastasized, or spread. She was referred to the South Florida Bone
Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant Institute where she met and found Dr. Maharaj
to be "knowledgeable, sensitive, and compassionate to my
situation." After exploring all of her options and getting
second and third opinions from other oncologists and surgeons, Ria decided
to have the transplant.
The Transplant Process
After undergoing a thorough evaluation, Ria was
considered a good candidate for a stem cell transplant and began receiving
conventional doses of chemotherapy. By April of 2000, she was receiving
chemotherapy at five times the conventional dosage. receiving the
treatment during the day allowed Ria to go home at night. Two nurses
from the program, Lisa and Caroline, would come to her home in the evenings
and monitor her condition. Once her stem cell count reached an
acceptable level, Ria's cells were collected and stored until the time of
the transplant.
In mid-May, Ria underwent high-dose chemotherapy over the
course of the week. Each day she was able to go home, and each
evening Lisa and Caroline monitored her condition. "Dr, Maharaj
called me himself that weekend," Ria recalls. "That was
something I did not expect; it was encouraging and a welcome
surprise." She continues, "The high-dose chemo was tough, but at
least I got to go home every night."
Forty-eight hours after the high-dose chemotherapy was
administered, Ria received the transplant, which injected the stem cells
back into her bloodstream.
A Healthy Recovery
Ria's cancer is now in
remission and she is "feeling great!" "A positive
attitude is half the battle," she says. "Dr. Maharaj
instilled that in me early on in the process, and I have taken it to
heart."
Ria commented on the nurses in the program, stating that
"coming here to Billie everyday was like having another mother.
I was lactose intolerant for six weeks after chemotherapy. The day I
was finally able to have milk products, she broke the news by surprising me
with ice cream!
Ria Kinsella believes she would
not have come this far without the treatments she received from the South
Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant Institute. Now, with her
cancer in remission, Ria says she feels great!
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